What to do when they don’t buy

By Travis Lee

Just about every business, whether professional practice, B2B business, brick and mortar store, even “online only” businesses have people attend sales presentations, whether face-to-face, over the phone, or virtually, but leave without buying.

Most sales people are dismissive of the saying, “I’ll be back…,” thinking, erroneously, that they’ve lost the sale for good. It’s not only entirely false, but very costly. Entire campaigns can and should be developed to reengage those who didn’t buy initially and get them back to the table again.

Most marketers stop short of striking gold in their list, giving up too quickly on unconverted leads. From your initial appointment when you don’t make a sale you’d be wise to create an “appointment no sale” follow-up sequence that includes emails, direct mail, outbound phone calling, etc.

There is gold to be mined, over weeks, months, and even years.

When a prospect first raises their hand indicating they want the “thing” you are selling but don’t buy, what they are really saying is that they aren’t ready to buy yet.

In fact, according to the National Sales Executive Association 80% of new sales are made on or after

When you message is important enough to delivery on a silver platter.

the 5th contact whereas only 2% of sales are made after the first contact.

It might be that they want your solution or a different solution by another provider, but they are looking for a solution. Give up too soon and you can bet it won’t be yours.

If you have any one-on-one sales appointments, and they don’t immediately buy, use the “Appointment, No Sale” strategy to convert these people into buyers and stop leaving thousands of dollars on the table for your competition to grab!

I wrote the letter for my copywriting client Kevin Lane, a debt reduction specialist in Newport News, VA (www.LaneFamilyFinancial.com).

In this campaign, the client has completed the “free evaluation” (i.e. Free consultation), but did not immediately invest in the next step, which is a $1,000 paid analysis that Kevin runs with a “proprietary software.” He then moves them into the debt payoff program. It’s a perfect example of “appointment, no sale.”

Once this campaign is completed they go back into the ongoing “nurture campaign” with tips, resources, webinars, etc. It does not end here. Kevin keeps in contact with them until “they buy or die.”

There are a lot of good things in this letter. It is worth reading several times, highlighter in hand. However I want to specifically point out two strategies used in this letter.

First is the copy starting on page three where we address and overcome the three biggest objections the prospect has. We call this “addressing the elephant in the room.” Whether intentional or not, this is often missed by marketers. But it needs to be addressed.

Whether you acknowledge the objections in your letter or not, your prospect is still thinking of them, weighing the pros and cons in their own mind. You’re always better off addressing them head on and overcoming them.

Second is the risk-reversal language starting on page two. This is where you tell prospects that there is no risk buying because they are protected by a guarantee. The risk is then placed on you to deliver, since they can ask for their money back if they don’t like it.

Of course you plan to over-deliver, so this is a win-win, your prospects are protected so compelled to buy, and you are committed to delivering a great product.

Jay Abraham writes about a guarantee a builder gave to potential clients. He told them that if their project went over budget, he would pay the cost, not them. He effectively eliminated one of people’s biggest concerns when entering into a contract with a builder. His business increased because of it.

A killer guarantee can be the driver of the entire offer. Businesses empires have been built on the back of great guarantees.

I’ve written extensively on guarantees on my blog, below are just two for you to check out to learn more on crafting a killer guarantee:

Is your message so important that it needs to be delivered on a silver platter? If so, why not send it on a silver platter! The Silver Platter measures 6” wide by 9” long and must be used with a 9.5” x 6.5” or larger envelope.